Monsters of a Different Sort
by Coldredcynic
Summary: Atop a palace of blood and tyranny, as a war 20 odd years in the making rages; a monster muses to a hero, and to himself. SPOILERS FOR 4.0 MSQ ENDING. SERIOUSLY. DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU READ THIS W/O HAVING DONE IT YET BRUH.


AN: Okay hoo boy, this fumbled out of my head after watching the final MSQ cutscene. This is a female warrior of light, but race isn't really an issue. I found myself truly sympathizing with Zenos for a few moments here and there, and his statements of (ours? my?) WoL really resonated (hah!) with how i RP her. I'm also paraphrasing/making up the cutscene dialogue, mainly because i can't quite remember them now but also because i don't want accusations of theft or anything _. This is also pathetically short. (and, this particular version is just a repost of my original posting on A03 :P)

* * *

She stalks out onto the roof like she owns it - or will very shortly, he muses. There is not an ounce of hesitation as she meets his eyes evenly.

"At long last. I was right, you know. To leave you. To let you live. I had thought you common rabble, a story made up to give hope to the fumbling animals down there. But no. You're more. You're..." He trails off, oddly contemplative.

She says nothing, holding his gaze stoicly, weapon readied but not making any moves. Have the others that once faced her done the same? Monologued, talked to her, made grandiose statements as to their motives? If they have, she doens't say. She just keeps staring.

"You can feel it, can't you? The pounding of your heartbeat, the chilling thrill of the moment. Oh how I have _waited_ for this day. To meet someone who can give me a _challenge_!"

His arms swing wide, a smirk falling on his lips. Funny how not 24 hours before he'd sat there bored as his commanders spewed prideful, pompous reports as to the soon-to-be-crushed activities of the rebellion. And now here he is, facing the one person in all Eorzea - nay, perhaps the whole world who can lay claim to possibly being his equal.

"Oh don't deny it. You and I, we're not so dissimilar now are we? Me, the commander of the XIIth, son of the emperor. Tyrant, monster, hunter. You, eikon-slayer, hero of doma, of eorzea, of ishgard. Dragonslayer, peacemaker, _Warrior of Light_. But I think you're much more beneath it all. No one simply...fights for others like that."

A flash - is that a smile or a sneer on her face? it's gone in an instant, but it galvanizes something in his chest. He looks back up at the caged beast behind him, then turns again towards her.

"We could be confidantes, you know. Idle away the small hours together. Friends, of a sort even. Wouldn't you like that?" He doesn't know why he's making the offer. He's never even thought of doing this for anyone else. All his life he's been alone, elevated, idolated. Why now? To her, this bitterest of enemies?

There is a long pause, as if a great decision is being weighed. Countless battles flash behind her eyes. A reliving of history. A pitched battle on the scales of her mind. And at long last, she speaks.

"...I accept you, Zenos yae Galvus. For who you are. For what you have done. For why you have done it."

His lips quirk into a smile - a truly amused one.

"Are we to embrace, then? Turn our cheeks aside and make nice, after all that has happened?"

"No, Zenos. There can be no peace, if no other reason than you will not accept it. Neither will I."

As his smile grows, as the beast behind him is freed and roars up, as he calmly explains the nature of what it is his plan is, she remains silent. He grins wide and...

He blinks. Behind her. In her. Around her? There is something. Her form slithers for a moment, darkens and pounds out as she moves from a gaurded idle stance to an open agressive. An aura seems to surround her. His vision grows dark as he seems unable to tear his eyes away from her for but a breath. For a fleeting, insane second, Zenos yae Galvus knows something akin to uncertainty.

"But do not worry, Zenos. I will give you what you desire. I will give you the moments between the seconds. Let us not fight, but dance, my prince. For the first and final time."

As he floats up, he begins to laugh. As the eikon bends to its master and begins to absorb him, he keeps laughing, high and pure and free.

As he looks down at the being below him, Zenos yae Galvus falls in love.


End file.
